Rick Neaves allegedly supplied other cops with steroids and other drugs as a Negaunee Police officer.
Rick Neaves, a former police officer with the Marquette and Negaunee Police Departments and the owner of MQT Nutrition, was arrested for selling anabolic steroids and other Scheduled drugs on November 21, 2019.
Neaves’ involvement with steroids came to light after he was fired from the Negaunee Police Department for possible police misconduct in December 2018. Neaves admitted to the misconduct of stealing prescription drugs from a police “take-back box”.
Police found additional incriminating evidence on Officer Neaves’ cellphone.
The Michigan State Police 8th District Special Investigation Section conducted a three-month investigation following Neaves’ December 2018 dismissal from the police force.
As part of its investigation, the MSP obtained a search warrant for Neaves’ mobile phone in January 2019. The cellphone provided investigators with extensive incriminating evidence of steroid dealing in the form of text messages between June 2017 and November 2018.
In particular, investigators found text message correspondences between Negaunee Police officer Neaves and Marquette Police officer Todd Collins in which they discussed the buying and selling of steroids such as Sustanon, Winstrol and Oral Turinabol.
Officer Neaves and Officer Collins were both K9 dog handlers at the Marquette Police Department in 2017 and 2018. Neaves was the handler for an explosives-detecting KP named “Nitro”. And Collins was the handler for a drug-detecting KP named “Scud”.
Neaves and Collins were both charged with two felonies: conspiracy to commit controlled substance delivery or manufacture and using computers to commit a crime.
Neaves has maintained his innocence. Through his attorney George Hyde, Neaves has suggested that the charges represent malicious payback from his former bosses.
Three officers (Neaves, Collins and, one unnamed officer) were implicated in the steroid scandal. The same three officers had previously filed a complaint alleging federal labor law violations at the Marquette Police Department.
“My client, Rick Neaves, maintains his innocence in connection with these charges,” stated attorney George Hyde, “and he and I are confident that he will be exonerated when all of the facts come out. Moreover, we are troubled by the irregular procedures employed by law enforcement in deviating from standard practice throughout this investigation. After review of the totality of circumstances, we wonder if this investigation has been clouded by malicious intent against Mr. Neaves, as he was one of three police officers who previously and successfully complained of violations of federal labor law within the Marquette Police Department.”
Dankovich, C. (January 16, 2020). Details on drug investigation involving two former police officers. Retrieved from uppermichiganssource.com/content/news/Details-on-steroid-investigation-involving-two-former-police-officers-567023411.html